Head Full of Doubt, Road Full of Promise
by silverstream27
Summary: In the metropolis of modern day Camelot, being magically endowed is practically a sin. The gifted are hunted down and slaughtered as examples to other citizens.However, the arrival of a young warlock and his budding relationship with the oppressor's heir will deliver change to the people. A revolution of the most extraordinary kind will follow the two as they fulfill their destiny.


Silverstream27

8.28.12

Disclaimer: I don't own the TV show Merlin, or the song's that I'm using as the title of the story and chapters. (The last chapter will be credits, a list of all the songs and their artists)

Full Summary: In the metropolis of modern day Camelot, being magically endowed is practically a sin. The gifted are hunted down and slaughtered as examples to the citizens and the tyrant Uther has a deadly chokehold on his residents. However, the arrival of a young warlock and his budding relationship with the oppressor's heir will deliver change to the freedom starved people. A revolution of the most extraordinary kind will follow the two as they fulfill their destiny.

*Partly inspired by the movie The Black Death but now that I think about it this story really has few if any similarities with it...

Beta: xXSkylerCrossXx, you should totes check her out! (Her newer stories are bamf) ^.^

Warnings: Murder, torture, and slash.

Chapter/Story song: Head Full of Doubt, Road Full of Promise by The Avett Brothers

/watch?v=iEr9gMYdkHI

(Just add YouTube's address to the beginning)

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Arthur Pendragon howled; throwing his head back as the animalistic sound ripped from his mouth.

He heard his men join in, their ghostly call filling the silent streets of Camelot. The young man couldn't help the grin that split his mouth, the adrenaline of their chase flooding his veins and exciting his already thumping heart. He could never get sick of this, he thought gleefully. The hunt was like a drug; a highly addictive drug that he wouldn't dream of ever weaning off. The heir led his men deeper into the city, their silence only interrupted by their soft footfalls at they followed the trail of their targets. The knights were all business now, their every thought focusing on tactics and catching the abominations they were set on. It didn't take them long to find them, the pair of teens being rather young and inexperienced in stealth. They caught the brother and sister in a dead end of an ally, full of the clichéd dumpsters and trash piles. Arthur could practically smell the desperation, the fear coming of the devils in waves.

The older brother suddenly spun around, his eyes wide and desperate as he pushed his younger companion behind his frail body. Arthur heard a few chuckles behind him in response to the inconsequential action.

"Let the young boy be noble," Arthur said quietly, his serious voice commanding the attention of every person in the ally. "It's not as if it will help them."

The young girl whimpered and the men pounced, weak magic hitting the knights' Pendragon Inc. shielded suites, built specifically to protect the men from enchantments. The fight was quite a letdown, the siblings only lasting for a few seconds before the older, trained warriors swept in for the final kill. Once the fight was won and the cleaners were called in to deal with the bodies, the knights and their prince set off into the livelier parts of the city. With their blood still spiked with adrenaline, the rowdy men flew into one of the more well-known clubs. Within Camelot they were the equivalent of royalty and expected to be treated as such. That being known, while they did have many people that let them do anything they please, they had just as many enemies. The men of the king's watch flooded into the establishment, effortlessly recalling exaggerated tales of the night's events to the other men and women in the club.

"The man was extremely powerful! We almost couldn't handle him!" Arthur overheard Gwaine exclaimed to a pair of busty brunettes, their doe eyes wide with excitement. The knight had them in the bag and he knew it but he was never known for doing things half assed and wasn't planning on starting tonight. So, he continued on.

"But it wasn't like we could just give up! The monster had kidnapped a young girl; no way she could've been older than twelve by the looks of it. So, we fought like hell and killed the warlock." He paused, a practiced cloudy expression covering his face. The shorter of the two women leaned in, her voice only barely audible to Arthur over the deafening bass of the club.

"What happened to the girl?" Gwaine offered her a weak smile.

"Dead on her feet." A pair of gasps. "The monsters magic had infected her so badly; we had to put her out of such misery."

Arthur gave himself a private smile as he walked past the scene. Now the knight wasn't simply a member of the Guard in the women's

eyes, but emotional as well. The suave bastard, he thought in begrudging admiration. Arthur flitted through the dance floor for a while, striking up conversations with his knights and a few of the more attractive patrons but after almost two hours of nonstop music, alcohol and smoke, he had to take a breather. Luckily, he remembered passing by a backdoor and almost immediately after exiting through the doorway he felt calmer, the cool city air rushing past his body. He was about to step back into the nightclub when he heard something; a quiet, muffled sob.

Instantly alert, Arthur let the door fall shut as he slinked toward where he believed the sound to have some from. Almost immediately after passing on the dumpsters in the deeper part of the ally, he saw he and couldn't help but let his mouth fall slightly open at the sight before him. The older woman was covered in cuts, dried blood caking over her well-worn clothing. The young man quickly made to reach out to her, keeping his voice soothing as he addressed the battered woman.

"Ma'am? Are you alright? Can you tell me your name?" The elder raise her eyes, cold and detached. It was all Arthur could do to not lean away.

"My name? It's Mary, Mary Collins." Her voice was gravely and she kept her eyes one him, her gaze deceptively strong despite her frail appearance.

"Well, we need to get you inside. Come on." She resisted, her head turning to the entrance of the ally way. That's when Arthur saw them, the three men watching the two of them. He let go of Mary's hands, turning to face his assumed adversaries.

"May I help you?" He made sure to project, hoping he could simply intimidate the opponents away. They ignore his question, the man in the middle stepping forward and addressing him bluntly.

"You're Arthur Pendragon, right?" Shit.

"No, why? Is he in trouble?" Even to Arthur's own ears the lie sounded weak. The men exchanged glances before they were upon him. The young man cursed, throwing his hands up to instinctively block the first of the blows. The tactic didn't work for long though, as the warlocks realized that he had taken his protective suit off before entering the club. Arthur cursed to himself once again for his idiotic move as he dove behind one of the dumpsters to avoid a flash of blue magic. He was only a split second to late, the energy clipping him on his shoulder and catapulting him into the brick wall of the ally.

He suspected to be taken care of quickly, he knew from experience that the magic users were merciless but no attack came. Arthur's foggy mind caught a strangled yell, cut off in accordance with the appearance a blinding, golden light before he slipped from consciousness.

Arthur had honestly not expected to wake up again. Very few people ever lived from magical attacks and even those that did were never quite right in the head. To his relief, Arthur felt no different than he had the morning earlier, albeit a tad sore. He kept his eyes closed for a few more moments before slowly easing them open, the blinding fluorescent lights still stinging his eyes despite the precaution. As Arthur moved to sit up in his hospital bed, a hand landed on his chest, gently pushing him back into the plush mattress. The heir looked up to see his father looking down on him, the older man's eyes surprisingly warm. Arthur allowed himself to be moved, keeping his neck at an awkward angle so he could continue making eye contact with his father.

"Are you feeling alright, despite the circumstance?" Uther's voice sounded out of place in the calm and quiet hospital. Arthur took a moment to answer.

"Yes, thank you father." The formality came with ease now, after almost 24 years of practice.

The man looked lost, his eyes dropping from Arthur's gaze for a moment before they came back, a fierce as ever.

"I will call your doctor. While I'm gone, you have someone to thank." Arthur raised an eyebrow but didn't voice his confusion, he simply watched his father exit the sterile looking room. He came back a few moments later, not with Arthur's doctor as the young man had expected but rather a teenager, a ruffled looking boy with gawky limbs that gave away his youth. Looking into the boy's face though he could tell the teen would grow into an elegant creature, given time.

The boy was fixed at the end of Arthur's bed, held in place by Uther's iron grip.

"Arthur, this young man is Merlin Emrys and he saved your life last night." Arthur felt shame well inside him. After years and years of training, he was saved by a boy who appeared to be at least 8 years his junior. Uther continued on as Merlin unconsciously shifted from foot to foot, his eyes looking at anywhere but the man in front of him.

"Now, I've already spoken to the young lad as to a reward but he seems adamant that your thanks are enough." Arthur's father still spoke on, talking about the youth as if he wasn't even in the room. Although Emrys look a tad miffed by this obvious brush off, he had the sense to not speak out. "So, the only logical decision is that we employ him." Merlin's eyes widened, turning to Uther and opening his mouth in the beginning of a protest. Uther again, spoke on. "You told me that you've only just arrived in Camelot, have you not Merlin?" Eyebrows drawn together, the boy nodded. "Well then it makes perfect sense! You can be Arthur's aid!" Arthur could only get out a halfhearted protest before Uther stared him down. "It's only fair. Now, return to our home tomorrow at Six A.M. with all of your belongings. We will provide food and lodging." Uther made to the door in order to call his son's doctor over, stopping before to address them a final time. "I will see you both tomorrow then." And with that he left.

Silence filled the room for a moment, shock still clouding the occupant's minds. Then, Merlin faced him head on, his mouth set in a hard frown.

"I'm sorry but I can't work for you! I've got thi-"Merlin sputtered as Arthur cut him off.

"Well to bad! My father would never have it if you left! Merlin, he would ruin you until we were your only option. The man doesn't give up easily." Merlin let out a sigh, letting himself fall against the plain wall of the room. Arthur couldn't help but pity the boy.

"I'm sure he'll let you go if we play along for a while; a few months at the very most." The pair fell into silence once again and Arthur could practically hear the gears moving in Merlin's mind. Suddenly, he pushed himself off the support of the wall.

"Fine, I'll see you tomorrow then." The youth proceeded to storm out of the room, practically slamming the door shut on his way out.

"And thank you." Arthur said to the calmness of the hospital room as he settled back into his bed.

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Should I continue? Let me know how you feel in a review! Pwaese?:)

Read on

Silver


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